This is a one stop place to find news and stories about the greatest singer of all-time, Bing Crosby. From his days with Paul Whiteman to his final performances in 1977, we will examine this remarkable entertainer's life and times!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

BING AND THE 1956 THUNDERBIRD

Chances are you've already heard Bing Crosby sing White Christmas or Silent Night this month, maybe you've even heard his weird Christmas duet with David Bowie from the 1970s. Now you can hear Bing Crosby sell you a 1956 Thunderbird.
In 1956 the Ford Thunderbird was still riding the wave of a pretty successful debut the year before. Ford's personal luxury response to the Corvette was so well received that almost no changes were made between the 1955 and 1956 model years. One of the few changes made was the Continental Kit which gave the car long pure lines. According to Mr. Crosby the additional trunk space the relocated tire left enough room for "4 hunting dogs, a brace of decoys and a case of uhhh…" Oh the good old days, when drinking was still somewhat taboo.
Bing Crosby wasn't having a bad year himself in 1956. He starred in the well received movie "High Society" with Grace Kelley and Frank Sinatra. Perhaps more importantly (at least to us) Ford gave him a brand new 1956 Thunderbird in exchange for him saying some nice things about the cars. Judging from this advertisement, if singing hadn't panned out for Bing, he could have made it as a car salesman.
Bing Crosby already had a successful and established career when he endorsed the Thunderbird in 1956. Although the Thunderbird was in its infancy in 1956, it also went on to have a pretty successful career, with continuous production through 1997 (Let's pretend the Thunderbird story ended there).